Hydrocarbon conversion process



Dec. 19, 1944.

COOLING COIL L. G. MOLIQUE HYDROCARBON CONVERSION PROCESS Filed March 28, 1942 HYDROCAR5ONS\ CATALYST\ IO II FEED STOCK HEATING COIL 2 Sheets-Sheet l BOTTOM PRODUCT CONTAINING ALKYLATE FIG OVERHEAD PRODUCT \FRACTIONATING COLUMN INVENTOR L. G. MOLIQUE WW W ATTORNEYS PER CENT OF COLUMN HEIGHT c-- IO ALKYLATE L. G. MOLIQUE HYDROCARBON CONVERSION PROCESS Filed March 28, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I TOP [50- BUTANE PROPANE REACTION YUTENE-l ZONE FEED r y \(N-BUTANE BUTENE-Z KETTLE o o.| 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 Q6 0.7 0.8 0.9 l0

MOL FRACTION COMPONENTS IN LIQUID INVENTOR L. c. MOLIQUE Patented Dec. 19, 1944 HYDROCARBON convsasron rnoosss Lawrence G/Molique, Bartlesvillc, kla., assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation ofDelaware Application March 28, 1942, Serial No. 436,651

4 Claims.

This invention relates to thecatalytic 'conver-,

sion of low-boiling hydrocarbons to produce other hydrocarbons. More particularly it. relates to the catalytic conversion of low-boiling hydrocarbons to higher boiling hydrocarbons and especially hydrocarbons suitable for inclusion in motor fuel. In a more specific sense this invention is concerned with a fractionation of a C4 mixture and the conversion of certain hydrocarbons concentrated by the fractionation to higher boiling hydrocarbons in the fractionating means, such as a fractionating or rectification column, in-

such a manner that the conversion will occur at that position in the column where the concentration" of the hydrocarbons is favorable for the desired chemical reaction. In a still more specific aspect; it relates to the alkylation of iso: butane with butenes to produce isooctanes boiling in the motor fuel range, using a liquid nonvolatile catalyst. a

When it is desirable to conduct certain polymerizatlon reactions and especially catalytic poly-- merization reactions to produce motor fuels of relatively high octane number, conventional manufacturing procedure requires that various reactants be within limited ranges of concentration. For instance, in the catalytic alkylation reaction of an isoparaflln with an olefin, commercial success of the reaction depends on, among other variables, the relative concentra-- tion" of the isoparaflln and the olefin, both with respect to each other and with respect to other hydrocarbons which may be present. It has been reported by various investigators that a desirable molal ratio of isoparamn to olefin is on the order of 5 to l and in some cases should be as high as 50 or 100 to l, or more. At least, it

' seems to be definitely established that the concentration of isobutane must be somewhat greater than of the butenes inorder to favor the alkylation reaction and retard the. polymerization of the butenes with each other. In situations where paraffin fraction and subsequently passing an isoparaflln fraction so separated to an alkylation step for conversion. f

I have now found that a mixture of hydrocarbon material which does not have a satisfactory composition for a subsequent direct conversion of a part or all of its constituents in a conventional alkylation unit can be charged to a novel, combined fractionating-reactlon unit and treated therein so that the desired conversion will take place in said unit. In one modification of my invention I have found an improved method .of I

catalytically alkylating a normally gaseous isoparaflin, usually isobutane; with an olefin or other suitable alkylatlng reactant, usually a butene, when said normally gaseous isoparafiln is contained in afeed stock that also contains undesirably large amounts of a corresponding normal paraflln or other less reactive alkylatable material and/or some substantially inert material. Such feed stock for an alkylation process is treated according to my invention by passing it to a novel fractionatlng-reaction unit wherein.

it is so treated that within the limits of a predetermined zone in the unit anisoparaflln hydrocarbon will be present in a higher concentration in the liquid phase than in the incoming feed stoclnsuch higher concentration of isoparafiln being favorable for its catalytic alkylation. In this way, the catalytic alkylatlon of such an isoparaflln is conducted in said predetermined zone in the fractlonating-reaction unit. The olea feed stock contains substantial amountsof both isoparafflns and of olefins oreven, perhaps, an excess of olefins, and it is desirable to alkylate isoparafflns with at least a portion of theoletin or other alkylating reactant may or may not be associated with the isoparamn in the original feed stock. In another specific modification of favorable results, is passed to a fractionating column and therein separated so that in a certain portion of the column the concentration of the desired polymerizable constituents will be favorable for the polymerization of said constituents andfurthermore that the polymerization reaction can be conducted in said portion of the Y column.

In its broadest scope my invention will find ap plication when it is desirable to react volatilizable constituents of a feed stock which are contained .thereln in undesirable concentrations, such as paraflin and relatively large amounts of diluent material, such as a less readily alkylatable normal paraflln, conventional procedure usually in.- cludes the step of treating such a feed stock to separate an isoparaflln fraction from a nor al concentrations which will not permit favorable or repress the desired reaction. The use of'a fractionating-reactionj unit for such. reactions allows product to be withdrawn immediately and continuously from the reaction zone and also permits the immediate return of unused reacttration to provide optimum conversion.

It is still another object to produce hydrocarbons boiling in the motor fuel range from lower boiling hydrocarbons.

Other objects and advantages will he readily apparent from the accompanying disclosure and discussion.

My invention will now be described, in connection with the dras which form a part of this specification and in which Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically a iractionatins-reection column, in section, together with accompanyins equipment aces-sac be used in cooperation with such operation. Somewhat more removal of heat. is necessary than is usual in' fractional distillation, due to the heat evolved by the alkylation reaction.

Tray-out tray 85 is so constructed and conditions within the column are so controlled that isobutane collected on this tray, or on trays immediately above this tray, can be elliyiated there= on with an alkylatine reactant in the presence of a suitable liquid alkylation catalyst whose boil ing pointer decomposition temperature, under.

red or even emulsified with the liquid hydrofor operating a process. in coection with one modification of my invention'which'pertains to the alkylation of iscbutahecand Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically the liduioi"coinpositlons through out the iractionatinu reaotion column of Fig. 1..

Referring now to t is. l, a feed stock compris lng mainly hydrocarbons containing four carbon atoms per molecule is passed through conduit iii controlled by valve iito a iracticnating-reaction column is. This teed stocirmay he a predominantly C4 fraction separated from the eiliuent of a cracking still and as suchwill contain in addition to isobutane a large quantity of normal, butane, some butenes and some propane. The molal ratio of normal butane to isobutan'e in such a feed stock is generally so high that such a stock is unsuitable for charging directly to a reaction zone of alkylation of the isobut'ane contained therein. The molal ratio of isobutane -to butenes in such a stock is likewise frequently too low for satisfactory results. Such a feedstock is treated in the fraetionating-reaction column is in such a merthat the isobutane will be in greatest concentration in the liuuidphase in a predetermined upper portion of the column. I have found that cartoon material present at the point of introduction. Emulsifyine agents may he added, if

desired. The catalyst thus flows downward and countercurrent to hydrocarbon vapors within the columnand contacts hydrocarbon liquid con densed above tray is and is finally trapped on tray iii as liquid phase it together with higher boiling hydrocarbons as phase it. 7,

Material for alkylating isobutane in the column may be admitted to the column with the incoming feed stools tmough conduit it, as when the charge is from a cracking unit and/or through conduit 22' in admixture with alkylation catalyst. as when the charge through conduit it contains little or no unsaturates, as will be the case when a butane fraction from a natural gasoline plant orfrom an isomerlzation unit is the charge stools. Such material can be admitted to the catalyst stream through conduit 28 controlled by valve 28. However, when the sole charge of material for alkylating isobutane is in the feed stock along with isobutane admitted through conduit til, trapout. tray iii is so positioned within the column and conditions are so controlled that the con:-

' centration of reactants between tray it and the in the, fractionating column each component of the feedstock charmed thereto reaches a maximurn concentration in the liquid phase in that portion of the column wherethe temperature corresponds to the boi ng point or that component at the operating pressure and that the optimum are satisfactorily controlled by my process. Conratio oi'isobutane to. butene is obtained at a point which is at least 60% of the height of the column.

A trap-=out tray. is is provided within the column at orjust below a positional: which the isobutane will be at optimum concentration in the liquid phase for the desired reaction. This portion is readily predetermined, by one skilled. in the art, from a knowledge or the composition of feed stock and by a. suitable design of the colinlet to the column for catalyst are favorable and/or optimum for the desired alkylation. In

such a modification the concentration of both the alkylatable material and the alkylating reactant ditions within the column are such that material above tray 35 which iscontacted with catalyst undergoes conversion and converted material together with catalyst and unconverted material is trapped out on tray. I5. It is preferable to position conduit 21, which carries catalyst to the .l'ractionating column, in such a manner that with in the zone between the inlet of conduit 2? and trap-out tray it a. major portion of the desired re umn and control of the operating conditions. The

column 82 is equipped with heating and condensing means I: and Il, respectively, as well as the conventional bubbletray's 20 in order to asem in the fractionation of theconstituents therein. It is to be appreciated, howe'veri'thatfi ooling means I! may be omitted when direct cooling, such as by a reflux liquid, is used, or' may.

action occurs. Although a portion or the reaction occurs within the mixture trapped on troy IE it is desirable to have-a major part of this reaction take place. abovefthis tray, thereby al lowing tray is to act as a settling or phase scparating means.

Trap out tray i5 does not extend completely across the column, a downcom'er with weir 2i being provided to allow overflow of the hydrocarbons fro'm phase into the next lower tray.

A chimney 22 is providedin the middle of trapout tray IE to allow vapor'to rise therethrough.

Not all of the vaporous material passing up through vapor riser or chimney 22 is condensed in the upper portion of the column and that which is not condensed and which may contain some isobutane as well as lower boiling material, passes through conduit 35 controlled by valve 36 .to cooler and reflux condenser 31 and thence to accumulator-40. The temperature in condenser 31 is so regulated that substantially all reactant material passed therethrough will condense.

From accumulator 40 liquid material is passed through conduit ll by pump 42 and then through conduit 8 controlled by valve 44 as reflux liquid to the top of fractionating column [2. When desirable, a portion of the liquid material from accumulator 40 may be removed from the process through conduit 45 controlled by valve .46. Also, when amixture of vapor and liquid is discharged from condenser 87 through conduit 35 and into accumulator 40, vapor may be removed from the system through conduit 38 controlled by valve 39. Spent or partially spent catalyst is passedfrom tray IS in the fractionating column by means of pump 25 through conduit 23 controlled by valve l and at least a portion is recirculated through conduit 21 controlled by valve 30 to the reaction zone in the column. If desired, a portion of the spent or partially spent catalyst may be removed from the system through conduit 3| controlled by valve 32. Spent catalyst so removed can be reviviiied and/or regenerated in means not shown and returned to the alkylation zone through conduit 24. When the phase separation on trapout tray i is not as clean-cut as is desirable and partially spent catalyst removed through conduit -23 is, therefore, contaminated with a substantial amount of hydrocarbon material, the material removed through conduit 3i may be subjected to additional phase separation outside of the fractionating-reaction unit in means not shown. Partially spent catalyst so separated may be subsequently revivifled and/or regenerated. Likewise, liquid hydrocarbon material over-- flowing trap-out tray I! may contain small amounts of catalyst in suspension, and can be freed therefrom in auxiliary equipment, not shown.

Hydrocarbons synthesized in the process as well as any material higher boiling than the reactant material together with some unreacted feed stock pass down through the column in liquid phase and are removed from the column through conduit 33 controlled by valve 34. When the magraphical form, the concentrations of hydrocarbon components in the liquids on the bubble-trays I throughout the column 12 of Fig. 1 during a typical operation in accordance with my invention.

The charge to fractionating-reaction column I! of this example is a C4 mixture from the gases of a cracking still, and has a composition as This charge is passed through conduit II! at about the midpoint of the column l2. The reflux ratio used was parts of reflux to 1 part of overhead product. It will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 2 that there is obtained a concomitant concentration of isobutane and an establishment of,

a high ratio of isobutane to butenes, both of which factors are to be desired in an alkylation process. It is at the bottom of, or just below,

the region marked "Reaction zone" that the trapout tray i5 is located, and the alkylation catalyst, in this instance concentrated sulfuric acid,

is introduced at a desired point in the upper part of this zone.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my invention involves the passage to a fractionatin column of a feed which is undesirably high in normal butane and in which the racial ratio of isobutane to butenes is above the optimum, main taining therein such conditions that at a point in the column equal to at least'60% of the height thereof there isestablished a markedly favorable molal ratio'oi' isobutane to butenes and a 3% desirably low concentration of normal butane, and carrying out the alkylating reaction above that level. The favorable reaction zone may extend 1 terminate at the or point in the colterial removed through conduit 33 contains appreciable amounts of catalytic material in solution and/or mechanically carried over from tray It, a subsequent separation is necessary for removing said catalytic material from such hydrocarbons. Generally such catalytic material is returned to the reaction zone as by means of conduit 24. The hydrocarbons material can then be treated as appears desirable.

Alkylating agents for reaction with the paraifln to be alkylated include normally gaseous oleflns, olefin polymers, alcohols, alkyl halides. Similar reactions take pace with aryl halides and aralkyl halides.- No one agent. however, is to be considered an equivalent of any other agent. Any

umn. The termination point may be determined by the point 011 introduction of the "catalyst. However the catalyst may be introduced above the top of the reaction zohej'descending thereinto.

Higher reflux ratios than that given in the example give even better results. Thus, in addition to control by temperature and pressure, the fractionating conditions may additionally be controlled by controlling the reflux ratio. For different reflux ratios the'curvesof Fig. 2 would not apply. Alternatively the column may be operated with no overhead whatever, simply as a rectifying column. Againthe curves of Fig. 2 would not apsuch material, when volatile, may be associated with theisoparamn in the feed stock charged Referring now to Fig. 2, there is shown, in

ply to such operation because they were determined for a reflux ratio of 15 to 1.

I have described my invention specifically in connection with the alkylation of isobutane but it is to be considered within the scope of this invention to promote the catalytic alkylation of any alkylatable hydrocarbon by my process. Such hydrocarbons may include, for example. propane, normal and isobutane, isopentane, and certain hexanes, but generally isobutane or isopentane will be the paraflin treated. As a suitable catalyst for the alkylation of hydrocarbons I prefer to employ a material'which' is liquid and preferably, although not necessarily, immiscible kylation. Sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid or mixtures of each of these acids with certain promoting agents, as are well known in the art, are suitable alkylation catalysts. Besides such acid catalysts I may employ any alkylation catalyst.

which is adapted tobeing recirculated to and from the conversion zone, and will berelatively involatile-under the reaction conditions.

Favorable control of concentration of reactants, when the temperature of the inlet stream is held substantially constant, can be obtained by controlling the operating pressure of the fractionating column'andwhen the pressure is held substantially constant, by employing refrigeration or other means of cooling, either directly or indirectly, and heating of the kettla Although my invention has been described in detail in connection with the alkylation of isoparaflln hydrocarbons, and specifically isobutane.

it is to be appreciated that other hydrocarbon reactions besides alkylation reactions can be conducted according to my process. For example, when it is desirable to copolymerize propane and la butene, such as isobutene, which are contained in a hydrocarbon fraction in more or less equimolecular proportions together with other h-ydrocarbonshaving two, three, and four carbon atoms per molecule, my process will find particular application. Referring to the drawings such a hydrocarbon mixture is passed through conduit ill to the fractlonating column 12. In order to bring the inlet to the column for catalyst will have the desired composition for bringing about the desired copolymerization. The copolymerization of propene and isobutene is then produced on and above tray l by a suitable polymerization catalyst which is admitted to fractionating column through conduit 2i. Operation of the column for this reaction is similar to those herein for an alkylation reaction. t My process may also be applied to the polymerization of the olefin or diolefin content of a hydrocarbon feed by carrying out the polymerization in the zone of the column where the concentration is at an optimum. Thus even though the olefin or diolefin content of the feed be too low for effective polymerization, polymerization thereof may be readily efifected in this way,the-

polymer being high boiling and descending in the column. Also my process is applicable to other processes such as isomerization, dehydrogenation, hydrogenation, condensation, etc. It the product formed is lighter it may be removed overhead.

My process may also be carried out with a solid catalyst such as a slurry in a suitable medium, or other form of mobile catalyst.

While I have shown a single-section column,

so operated that the maximum isobutane concentration occurs in the kettle or accumulator describedunder the operating conditions in the zone of reaction and which will promote the "desired alessence which is at an intermediate position in the total fractlonating column. In such an arrangement the acid catalyst would be introduced in that section containing the kettle referred to and withdrawn from the lower part of the kettle or accumulator. The gases from the top of a preceding section are fed to the bottom of a succeeding section and 'the liquid or condensate from the bottomof a succeeding section is returned to the top of the preceding section as reflux. In this way still more satisfactory compensation for the efiects of reactant and catalyst addition and the thermal changes accompanying the reaction may be obtained. In this way the sheet of the conversion process upon the over-all operation of the fractionating column is minimized.

Having thus described a specific embodiment,

- taining normal butane, isobutane, and normal butenes in 'molal excess of said isobutane, which comprises passing such a mixture to fractional distillation means at an intermediate portion thereof, concentrating in azone in an upper portion of said means a hydrocarbon liquid contain ing a higher concentration of isobutane and a lower concentration of normalbutenes than said C4 mixture and having a molal ratio-of isobutane to butenes greater than 1: 1, intimately ad-' mixing with said hydrocarbon liquid'in saidzone a. nonvolatile paraflln alkylation catalyst which is terial within the column and between tray 15 and active as an alkylatlon catalyst under theconditions existing in said zone, to fiect an alkylationreaction between said isobutane and butenes forming isoparailins boiling in the motor fuel range, withdrawing from said zone and said distillation means used alkylation catalyst, and withdrawing as a kettle product of said fractional distillation means a hydrocarbon fraction comprising unreacted normal butenes, normal butane, and lsoparaflins boiling in the motor fuel range so produced.

2. A process for alkylatlng isobutane contained in a hydrocarbon mixture comprising isobutane,

normal butane, butenes,and minor amounts of lower-boiling materlal, said isobutane being present in a molar concentration less than that of normal butane and less than'that ofbutenes,-

which comprises passing said hydrocarbon mixture to a fractional distillation column at approximately the midpoint thereof, removing from the top of said column said lower-boiling material, concentrating in the upper part of said column a liquid hydrocarbon material com, isobutane and butenes havinsja molar excess '2 isobutane, contacting said liquid hydrocarbon ma- I terial in said column with an alkylation catalyst under alkylating conditions to-iorm higher-boil- 7 ing paraifin hydrocarbons, g higher-boiling paraffins so produced down-said column in liquid phase, and removing as a'kettle product of said column a liquid hydrocarbon 'fractlon comprising normal butanaunreacted' butenes.

and said higher-boiling paratlins so. produced.

3. The process of claim 1 in which said alhvla tion catalyst is concentrated sulfuric acid.

4. The process at claini2 in which said alkylation catalyst is concentrated sulfuric acid.

' o. MOLIQUE. 

